Bequests: Assets transferred through a donor’s estate, such as cash gifts set out in a donor’s will. Other bequests include the proceeds of life insurance policies and retirement plans.

Capital Gifts: Gifts are used for such purposes as strengthening the endowment for building or significant renovations, or to create permanent funds that will be invested to produce income for planned expenditures.

Charitable Lead Trust: A gift structure in which the donor removes specified assets from his/her estate (receiving immediate tax savings) and provides the school income from those assets for a period of years. At the end of the gift period, the assets may be returned to the donor or, to a third party.

Charitable Gift Annuities: Contractual agreements in which a donor irrevocably transfers funds or properties to the school. The contributed property becomes an asset of the institution and is overseen within the endowment, and Deerfield pays a fixed sum to the donor and/or another person for life.

Charitable Remainder Trust: A tax-exempt, irrevocable trust in which a donor grants property, investments, or money to the school. The donor continues to use the property or receive income from the investments or money for a specified period, at the end of which, the remainder of the trust goes to the school.

Endowment: A fund, invested to produce income to help offset expenses of the institution.

In-Kind Gifts: Tangible items that the school would otherwise have to purchase but that are instead given to Deerfield as donations, such as artwork, books, sporting equipment or furniture.

Planned Gifts: Gifts that come to the school in the future, or over a period of years, whereby the donor takes a partial tax deduction for the gift and then receives an income stream for a specified term of years in return for the gift to Deerfield.

Pooled Income Funds: A pooled income fund is a fund into which multiple donors contribute for investment. Each donor has a pro rata shared interest of the fund and receives an income. At the end of the donor’s life, his or her interest of the fund is given to the donor’s designated charity.

Life Income Gifts: Gifts such as Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Pooled Income Funds that will benefit the school in the future while providing tax benefits and income for the donor immediately and over time.

Matching Gifts: A program in which a corporation or foundation matches gifts to education made by their employees, retirees and directors.

Outright Gifts: Gifts of cash, real estate, securities, and personal property, used to make contributions on an outright basis.

Parents Funds: Gifts from parents of current students (and parents of alumni), which help the school reach its Annual Fund goal each year.

Participation: A measure of how many donors in a specific group have made gifts. Large gifts and small carry equal weight in calculating participation rates.

Restricted Gifts: Gifts designated by the donor for a specified purpose, such as faculty salaries, scholarships or technology.

Senior Parent Program Fund: Gifts from parents of current seniors, used to support capital projects.

Unrestricted Gifts: Gifts that are given with no specific designation, allowing the Board and administration the flexibility to use them to meet the school’s needs as determined by the leadership.